


Aftermath

by Laura_trekkie



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-31
Updated: 2012-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-02 19:59:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laura_trekkie/pseuds/Laura_trekkie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian Edgerton has bridges to mend after taking Colby hostage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Damerel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damerel/gifts).



> My first attempt at Numb3rs fic… maybe that should be under a ‘warning’ heading ;). I wrote it for LJ's Numb3rs New Year challenge, for Damerel, who wanted, among other things, a look at things post- _Ultimatum_. I didn’t get all of Damerel’s prompt into this, but I did manage to get some angst and some handcuffs in there. I was actually hoping I would get this prompt, because I’ve had a plot bunny hoping around ever since seeing the episode.
> 
> I have to admit that I tweaked the ep a little. I felt it finished a little too neatly, with everything seemingly resolved ready for the reset button the following ep. Fair enough, that’s how TV shows work, but I wanted to make things a bit less tidy – this wasn’t something Colby would just shake off once he was out of the prison. I planned to make Ian grovel more than he ended up doing, but hey-ho.
> 
> Also, I have no idea how quickly Ian would’ve been released, so it may be a bit unrealistically quick.
> 
> Lastly, I’m not very good at titles, but this one amused me because not only is it the aftermath of the episode, but, technically, it’s also after math. *vbg*

Ian Edgerton stood back from handcuffing Colby Granger to the pillar and wondered, not for the first time, what the hell he was doing. He could feel Granger’s glare like a physical thing and hoped he hadn’t burnt too many bridges. He liked Colby; their military background gave them a similar outlook on life and the slight case of hero worship was a real ego boost, especially from someone as easy on the eye as Granger.

There was precious little evidence of that hero worship now, but he was banking on there being enough left to at least get him heard, where Eppes might not have given him even that much.

The adrenaline rush they were both feeling made sparks fly. Colby was understandably angry at his hostage status and Ian was angry that his friends seemed to believe he was guilty of murdering Costello. They exchanged a few barbs that Ian, at least, would regret later. He hoped Colby would regret them, too.

Once his demands had been made and the professor was off working his magic, Ian relaxed a little. Colby seemed to have listened and mellowed slightly. It was up to Charlie now and all Ian could do was wait. He was very good at waiting. And he had an excellent distraction tied to a pillar in front of him.

Ian had always had an instinctive understanding of what made other people tick, how to get into their heads and read their unconscious body language. His time in fugitive recovery had only deepened that ability. Now, he focused all that on Colby, reading all the unconscious tells his body gave off, and was pleased by what he saw.

Colby was angry, but he’d never seemed scared of Ian, not even when he’d had his own gun pointed to his head. Some of it was down to training, but Ian thought there was more to it. Just as he thought Colby’s slightly blown pupils were down to more than the dim lighting.

Ian could’ve done without David putting Nikki on the phone to ‘talk him down’. He hadn’t called her in awhile, because he’d realised things wouldn’t go anywhere between them. Nikki was feisty, she gave as good as she got and kept Ian on his toes. He’d had fun when he was with her, but in the end, she was just a bit too confrontational and challenging. He understood it - she’d grown up surrounded by brothers; she was a woman in a man’s world, and a black woman to boot. She’d had to fight to get where she was. Ian liked a good fight, but he also relished the chance for some peace and quiet, the chance to relax and not have to talk all the time. Nikki was too gregarious, but Colby didn’t strike him as an all night party guy and he certainly didn’t seem to need to talk just to fill a silence.

He liked having Granger at his mercy and entertained himself with thoughts of just what he could do with the other man tied up and helpless… and wearing a few less clothes. He was glad the orange prison jumpsuit was quite baggy, as it wouldn’t do to let Colby see Ian’s interest in him while things were still so up in the air.

They talked on and off while they waited to hear from Charlie. Colby shared a story about beating up the school bully and then getting beaten by his dad for not being honourable. Given the context, it was obviously Colby’s way of trying to talk some sense into Ian, but it seemed like a true story, rather than something Colby had invented to manipulate Ian, so he filed it away. Colby definitely sounded sincere when he said that he didn’t want to have to stand at Ian’s funeral.

Time seemed to slow down and his two hour deadline seemed to be days away.

And then things went into fast forward; Sinclair passed on the coded message; Colby reasoned out the rest of Ian’s plan to get arrested in order to ferret out the mole in the Marshalls; Ian put his trust in Colby, released him and gave him his gun back; the real bad guy, Galvin, was caught and Garcia was found and saved from being permanently silenced.

When time slowed back to normal, Ian was faced with languishing behind bars for a bit longer until a judge got around to officially releasing him. Nikki stopped by for a chat and Ian flirted, asked for a conjugal visit, but he didn’t put much effort into it. Nikki must’ve realised it, too, because she played along, but basically shut him down by throwing his cell coverage line back at him. Ian hoped that meant she wouldn’t be hurt if anything happened between himself and Colby.

He didn’t see Colby, so he decided that the first thing he’d do after getting out was pay a visit to the other man’s apartment. They needed to talk, clear the air. Yes, Colby had figured things out in the end, had understood why Ian had done what he’d done, had maybe even forgiven him for the big picture, but he knew he’d have to work for forgiveness over the little things, like the fact that he’d put a gun to Colby’s head and handcuffed him to a pillar, or the fact that he’d threatened Colby more than once. Ian was going to have to fix things if he hoped to get anywhere with Colby... and he really did hope to get somewhere with him.

~*~

Colby stepped outside into the morning sunlight. He made some quip to David about it being nice, outwardly keeping his cool. Inside, however, he was in turmoil, with several different thoughts and feelings warring for his attention. He was quiet as they started back to the office, concentrating on driving, but he caught David shooting him sidelong looks and racked his brain for something to break the silence. 'Outwardly cool, remember?' he told himself.

"So, how are you doing, David?" he said at last, surprising himself - he’d wanted to distract his partner, sure, but he’d intended on a lighter topic.

He’d evidently surprised David, too, as his friend's tone was incredulous when he said, "Wait, so _you’re_ asking _me_ how _I’m_ doing?"

"What? It’s a valid question; he’s your friend too," Colby replied, somewhat defensively.

David sent him a brief measuring look, before turning his attention to the passing scenery. He was quiet just long enough for Colby to wonder whether he’d get an answer, then he said, "Right now I’m angry; he could’ve handled things differently, trusted us instead of turning a gun on one of his friends, but I'll get over it."

Colby wondered whether it was only him who flashed back to the aftermath of the Janus List debacle with the words ‘trusted us’ and guessed by the set of David’s shoulders and his firmly-forward gaze that he wasn’t.

They fell silent again after that, but luckily it wasn’t long before he was pulling into a space in the underground parking, closely followed by Charlie’s Prius. The Eppes brothers met up with him and David as they waited for the elevator to arrive. Don said, "It’s been a rough day, why don’t you all get off home; leave the reports 'til tomorrow?"

Colby didn’t imagine for one moment that Don would follow his own advice, nor was he surprised when David decided to stay and do his report. When Don raised an enquiring eyebrow his way, Colby said, "Nah, I’d rather get it done while it’s still fresh." He didn’t fancy sitting at home with only his thoughts for company. Not that he was particularly looking forward to all the questions, concern and sympathy from his well-meaning colleagues waiting upstairs either.

"Well OK, guys, but I’m telling you both now, you’re riding a desk for the rest of the day," Don said.

"Ah, c’mon, Don," Colby groaned, though it was half-hearted at best. He knew Don was right to bench him; his mind really wasn’t on the job.

“Nope, I’m sorry, Cole, but can you honestly tell me you’d be one hundred percent focused if we got a case right now?”

Colby didn’t answer verbally, but that very silence and the rueful expression on his face must’ve been answer enough for Don, as he grinned slightly and clapped Colby on the shoulder.

The door opened and Colby took a fortifying deep breath before following Don the short distance to their team’s collection of cubicles, flanked by David and Charlie. Don’s presence helped clear most of the well-wishers away and Colby satisfied the rest with a quick, “I’m fine, thanks,” and a smile.

He was soon sitting at his desk and powering up his computer. He glanced down briefly to type in his password and when he looked up again Charlie was drawing to a stop in the gap between his and David’s desks.

“Hey guys, I’m heading out,” he said.

David looked up from his own computer and smiled. “Hey, Charlie. Thanks for your help today. Go home and get some rest, you’ve earned it.”

Charlie got the bashful, pleased look he wore whenever anyone complimented him, a look Colby had always found endearing, though he’d never say it out loud. “Make sure you take your own advice, David; you’ve both earned some rest, too.”

“I plan on sleeping for a whole day once I’ve got this report written,” David assured.

“Well then, I’ll leave you to it - the quicker I get out of your way, the quicker it’ll get written,” Charlie said with a grin. He turned back to Colby, mouth open presumably to say goodbye, but Colby got in first.

“I’ll walk with you, Charlie,” he said, standing up. David glanced his way, but didn’t say anything, while Charlie readily agreed.

Colby waited until they were out of earshot of, then stopped walking and said, “So, I know David’s already said it, but thanks for all your hard work today, man. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t found Garcia in the nick of time. You probably saved Ian’s life and maybe mine, too.”

“You don’t really think Ian would’ve hurt you, do you, Colby?” Charlie asked, looking faintly dismayed.

“I gotta tell you, Charlie, when you’re tied up and there’s a gun waving in your face, a bullet seems entirely possible.” That just served to make Charlie look even more dismayed, so Colby softened his tone. “But no, I don’t think Ian would’ve shot me. If his bluff had been called, though, he would’ve lost all credibility and the marshals could’ve come in even harder than they did. Ian wouldn’t have gone down without a fight and there’s nothing to say I wouldn’t have caught a stray bullet from one of them.”

Charlie absorbed that information and nodded. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to narrow the search.”

“Don’t sweat it, man; you’re a genius, not a miracle worker,” Colby teased.

Chuckling, the two men resumed their walk to the elevator, managing to arrive at the very moment the doors opened. Nikki stepping out explained the timely arrival and Charlie hopped on with a quick goodbye.

Colby and Nikki wandered back to their section of the bullpen. “So, how’s Ian doing?” Colby asked.

“He’s OK,” Nikki replied. “He’s gotta sit in his cell a bit longer ‘til a judge signs his release, but I think he’s relieved to have been proved right.”

“You gonna see him when he gets out?” Colby asked, aiming for nonchalant and looking sidelong at Nikki. He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted her answer to be.

“Nah, probably not. He’s not called in awhile and his comment about bad cell coverage sounded like a line to me,” Nikki replied.

“I’m sorry,” Colby replied, though he didn’t really think he was, even as her answer set off butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t going to examine the feeling until he got home, though, and maybe not even then.

“Don’t be, I wasn’t looking for a diamond ring. It was fun, but I think Ian’s just too much of a lone wolf to ever stop wandering and settle down with someone.” It was a fair assessment, but it stung Colby. He added that reaction to the ‘examine later/never’ column.

Things were quiet for the next few hours as they all wrote up their reports. Colby started when a hand waved in front of his eyes. “What’s up, David?” he asked, hoping to cover his surprise.

“I was hoping you could tell me, man,” David replied. “You’ve been staring off into space for the last ten minutes.”

“I have not,” Colby denied.

“I’m afraid you were, Colby,” Nikki said, and now they were ganging up on him, which was just wrong.

Grasping for an explanation, Colby said, “I was just thinking of something for my report.”

“Uh huh,” David said, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. “That might wash if I’d not watched you print out and sign your report already.”

‘Damnit, so much for that,’ Colby cursed to himself. Of course, that was the moment Don chose to materialise from who knows where.

“What’s up, guys?” he asked.

“Nothing much; Colby was just woolgathering for the last ten minutes, so I was about to suggest he go home,” David answered, smirking at Colby.

“Thanks man, just rat me out to the boss why dontcha?” Colby said with a grimace.

“Don’t worry, Cole,” Don said, “I just came over to send the whole lot of you home anyway.”

Colby sent David a look that said, ‘Ha, payback’s a bitch’. He was certain that it took a considerable effort of will on David’s part not to stick out his tongue in response.

~*~

An hour later found Colby, hair still a little damp from a much-needed shower, sitting on his sofa with a cold beer and a freshly-delivered pizza, flicking through the TV channels for something to watch. He settled on a football game; neither side was his team, but it was something that didn’t require concentration.

He wolfed down four slices with the first beer, keeping his brain empty while he satisfied his hunger. Then, hoping to keep his thoughts at bay a little longer, he fetched another beer, paused, shrugged and brought the rest of the six-pack along. It promised to be a long night.

Colby was conflicted about what had happened. He was angry and a little disappointed, yet also understood what had driven Ian.

As much as it angered him that Ian had brought up the Chinese mission and compared it to Ian’s own predicament, now he’d had time to cool off, Colby could see that there were some similarities. He knew what it was like to be considered a bad guy, to be hunted by his friends, to be behind bars with people who knew he was a federal agent, and all the while being on the trail of the real bad guy. Still, it hurt that Ian had brought it up, had targeted Colby not because of their friendship, but because of a mission Colby still found it hard to think about. A mission that had cost him friends, trust and very nearly his life.

And Colby was disappointed. It was no secret to anyone, least of all himself, that he had a bit of hero worship for Ian. It was probably unfair, but he held Ian in high regard. The man was a legend when it came to bringing in the bad guys, so it struck Colby hard to see him cornered, on the edge and reduced to taking his friends hostage, to see him as just a desperate man. It hurt that Ian would rather put a gun to his head than trust him to help. If he’d just come to Don and explained, none of today’s events would’ve had to happen. Colby had been out in the cold, it wasn’t an option for him to tell Don what was happening, but Ian hadn’t needed to go that route, loner or not.

And yet… A little bit of Colby was glad that Ian had chosen _him_ as his hostage, that he’d got to spend all that time alone with the object of his hero worship. They even talked a little, strained though it had been. Colby kinda hated how pathetic that made him feel, but he was honest enough with himself to know that he felt a little more than simple hero worship for Ian Edgerton and he couldn’t help being happy for the time to watch the other man up close.

Colby was also honest enough with himself to admit that he’d felt a little jolt of arousal as Ian fastened the cuffs around his wrists. It had taken him by surprise - he’d been tied up before and never felt anything other than annoyance. Even when a lover had suggested it he’d only gone along with it to make them happy, never really getting much out of it himself, and after his near-death experience at the hands of Lancer, he’d had no desire to be restrained… until his inappropriate reaction to Ian earlier in the day.

Colby was on his fourth beer, feeling lightly buzzed and relaxed and thinking about Ian and those handcuffs was having an effect. Arousal washed over him and his dick twitched, slowly starting to harden. He stared at his crotch for a moment, before mentally shrugging and deciding to go with it. After all, there was no one around to see him jerking off to thoughts of Ian Edgerton and god knows he could use the relaxation of a good orgasm.

He settled a little deeper into the couch and spread his legs, lazily rubbing against the front of his jeans, encouraging the growing bulge. He waited until his cock was pressing painfully against his zipper, before popping the button and sliding the zip down to release the pressure.

He reached into his boxers and pulled his cock out, giving it a few teasing pulls. Colby cast his eyes round the room, but couldn’t see anything that would work as lube and couldn’t be bothered to move to his bedroom, so he made do with spit, licking his palm a few times, before returning it to his dick.

Closing his eyes, Colby brought up images of Ian prowling about, looking intense and dangerous. He imagined himself cuffed to something a little more comfortable than the pillar from earlier - those corners had bit into his arms unpleasantly - helpless to avoid whatever Edgerton had planned.

Ian seemed the type who would have no qualms about cutting the clothes off someone, so Colby pictured Ian slicing through his t-shirt, the cold blade of the knife ever so slightly grazing his spine.

He moaned. Loudly. _Jesus_ , it looked like he’d found another kink he didn’t know he had! Colby Jr. certainly seemed to enjoy the image judging by the precome that started beading at the tip. Colby increased the speed of his hand, smearing the precome over the shaft and easing the way. He added a twist of his wrist on the upstrokes, panting now, getting closer.

In his mind’s eye he saw Ian pressed up against his back, reaching round to undo his trousers. This drew out another moan and caused his hips to thrust up hard; he was close now, just starting to feel the tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine.

Fantasy-Ian peeled aside the flaps of Colby’s now-open trousers and…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Colby’s eyes flew open, his hand freezing mid-stroke. He sat for a second or two, dazed by the sudden interruption, his mind struggling to change gear. “Damnit!” he moaned.

It was probably David or Don come to check on him. He thought about ignoring them and going back to his daydream, but then remembered that both men had a key. Swearing, he shoved his painfully hard erection back into his jeans and carefully zipped up. “Just a minute,” he called.

He wiped his hand on the back of his jeans, trying to get the worst of the spit and sticky precome off it. Luckily he tended to wear his shirts untucked, so the hem should hide the wiped-off evidence and the incriminating bulge. He just hoped the smell from the remaining pizza slices would cover the musky scent of sex.

He willed his erection away, but he’d been too close to coming for his body to give up easily, so it was a little uncomfortable to walk along the short hall to his front door. He didn’t bother to check the peephole, so was somewhat startled when he opened it to find neither David nor Don. Instead, he came face to face with the object of his recent fantasy.

He stared at Ian, speechless for a second, then shook himself out of it and managed, somehow, to make his tone even as he said, “They let you out then?”

Ian grinned, “They did. I had to get debriefed by the boss, but as soon as I could get away I came to see you. I… wanted to make sure we were OK after today.”

Colby was taken aback - Ian actually seemed hesitant. His own brain was still a little sluggish, caught between fantasy and reality. His traitorous cock had perked up again, which didn’t help his concentration.

At a loss, and realising they couldn’t stand in limbo at his front door, Colby turned and headed back inside the house without a word. The sound of boots on the wooden floor and the click of the front door telling him Ian had followed.

~*~

Ian followed Colby into his apartment with a bemused expression. He’d imagined several scenarios ranging from anger, to a punch in the face, to getting dragged inside and kissed soundly (though he admitted to himself that that last one was the least likely outcome). What he hadn’t expected, and so had no planned response for, was a panicked expression on a flushed face and a monotone indifference to his presence. The three things didn’t really seem to go together and Ian was intrigued.

He shut the door behind him and debated a moment then flicked the lock. He hoped to get things sorted out before he was thrown out and, if things went the way he hoped, he wouldn’t be leaving tonight.

He tracked Colby to the living room and his sharp senses took in the scene within seconds, cataloguing the half-eaten pizza, the empty beer bottles standing alongside two unopened ones, the smell of food and something else in the air. Colby was standing on the other side of the room, head tipped back as he drained another beer bottle. Ian allowed his eyes to roam over Granger’s body - the way his throat worked as he swallowed; the broad, strong shoulders; the narrow waist… the bulge in his trousers.

There was no one else in the apartment, of that Ian was sure, so the question became: was that for him or had he interrupted a little alone time? He allowed himself a feral grin; suddenly he had a plan, and it didn’t involve much talking. If he’d read the situation wrong, this could ruin any chance he had, but Ian trusted his instincts and wasn’t usually wrong.

As Colby set the newly-empty bottle on the table with the others, Ian stalked across the small space separating them. Colby straightened and watched him approach, holding his ground and narrowing his eyes, though Ian noticed that his breathing picked up and the tell-tale bulge was still there. Good; he liked it when his prey didn’t just roll over.

He stopped well within Colby’s personal space, still grinning, using his slight height advantage to make the other man look up, flustering him despite how Colby was trying to keep his expression blank. It was a good effort and might even have convinced someone other than Ian, but unfortunately for Colby, it just spurred Ian on in his own efforts to break that cool façade.

It made him flash back to earlier in the day, when he’d first grabbed Colby and used him as a shield against Don and David. He’d felt the tension in the body held against his own, but Colby’s voice and what Ian could see of his expression had been calm as he almost casually told Eppes to take the shot, even if he had to shoot Colby to get to Ian. Well, Ian had a better advantage now - no one was being held at gunpoint and Colby still had that erection, which leant credence to the idea that Ian was the cause of it.

Testing his theory boldly, he reached out and ran the back of his fingers lightly over Colby’s groin. “Is that for me?” he purred.

The next thing he knew, he was stumbling back from Colby, tasting blood from his newly-split lip. He probed the injury with his tongue, wiped the little bit of blood away with the back of his hand and grinned. He hadn’t seen that coming - he’d known Granger had muscle, but hadn’t realised he had that kind of speed. This was _fun_! This was what he liked about male partners: he always felt he had to hold back with a woman, no matter how strong and forceful she was, but a man could take whatever he could dish up and Colby was not only Army trained, but had been a wrestler during college. He could definitely take whatever Ian threw at him and could probably give just as good back. Ian did so love a challenge.

“What the fuck, Edgerton!?” Colby exclaimed. “Keep your damn hands to yourself. You don’t get to touch me after what you did!” He sounded pissed, but Ian noticed he didn’t step away and, if anything, the incriminating bulge had got bigger. To be fair, Ian’s own cock was well on the way to hardness, too.

“That implies I would’ve been allowed to touch you before that,” Ian pointed out, advancing again, though keeping an eye on Colby’s fists this time.

“In your dreams,” Colby snapped. It wasn’t very original, or convincing, and Colby’s slight grimace said that he realised it.

Still, it gave Ian an opening: “More than once, Granger.”

Colby faltered. “What?”

That moment of distraction was all Ian needed. He covered the last step, stopping with his chest mere inches from Colby’s, his hands lashing out to wrap around Colby’s wrists before he got it in his head to punch him again. He was looking for it, so he saw the hitch in the other man’s breathing, saw the way his pupils dilated wider than seemed possible when his fingers closed tight. He knew he’d not been mistaken.

Belatedly, Colby tried to wrench free, which led to a few delicious moments of struggling, until Ian managed to wrestle Colby’s hands behind him, pinned in the small of his back. They were both breathing hard now, standing so close that their erections rubbed together and Ian could feel Colby’s breath against his cheek.

“Let me go,” Colby demanded, but Ian had cracked his façade at last and heard a slight waver in his voice.

“Say that again and mean it and I’ll let you go,” he replied.

“ _Let me GO!_ ” Colby said again, this time with a snarl that almost had Ian convinced.

“Better,” he taunted. “I might believe the tone of voice, but the fact that your eyes are so black you look stoned, the fact that you could break my hold if you really wanted to and the fact that this-“ he punctuated his statement by pressing his thigh between Colby’s, rubbing against the hardness there - “is still in full force, leads me to believe that you are quite happy where you are.”

He didn’t give Colby any chance at a comeback, because he decided if he didn’t kiss the man _right now_ he might explode, so he leant in the last inch and proceeded to devour Colby’s mouth.

Colby clearly wasn’t quite ready to admit Ian had won this battle, because he tensed up and half-heartedly tried to protest and pull away, but Ian squeezed the wrists he still held and shoved his thigh harder against Colby’s cock and finally Colby gave in, melting against him with a loud moan.

The same sense of victory Ian felt when he brought down a fugitive surged through him, the same need to fuck someone in celebration. It was the first time both feelings had centred on the same person, however.

Ian growled, surging forward and crowding Colby back a few paces ‘til he hit the wall with an ‘Oomph’. They narrowly avoided a shelf full of DVDs and Colby tore his mouth away from Ian’s. “If you break any of my stuff I’ll kick your ass,” he growled.

Ian huffed out a laugh. “I’ll be careful,” he said, then moved his mouth to suck at Colby’s pulse point. Colby approved if the little whine he gave and the way his head tipped to the side, exposing more of his neck, was any indication. Ian took up the unspoken invitation and nuzzled the skin, sucking, licking and nipping from behind Colby’s ear all the way down to the juncture between neck and shoulder.

Colby tried to pull his wrists free and Ian growled again, biting a warning into Colby’s neck. That earned him a sharp thrust of hips grinding their erections together and a moan, but that moan turned into a breathless chuckle as Colby said, “If we stand here holding hands all night, we’ll never get naked. Now let me go.”

He had a very good point and Ian stepped back slightly and prised reluctant fingers off the other man’s wrists. He had a moment to wonder at the feral look on Colby’s face before he was grabbed by the lapels of his jacket and their positions were neatly reversed.

Ian’s back hit the wall harder than was strictly necessary, not that he was complaining. Colby leaned in and took Ian’s mouth in a searing, but all too brief kiss, then he trailed his lips along Ian’s jaw to his ear and whispered, “You don’t get to have it all your own way.” He pulled away, kissed the tip of Ian’s nose impudently, then made a run for what Ian assumed was the bedroom door.

Ian blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events. Who knew Colby Granger could be so playful? Then he laughed aloud and gave chase.

The apartment wasn’t large, so Ian caught up to Colby within moments, but the thrill of the chase was still there nonetheless and Ian relished it. Colby had made it within range of the bed, so Ian tackled him down face-first on the mattress and quickly straddled his hips to pin him in place. Colby struggled, nearly catching Ian with his elbow, before Edgerton managed to get hold of his wrists.

He wrestled Colby’s arms behind his back, just like a suspect ready to be cuffed, but Ian had enough lust-free brain cells left in working order to know that things would probably backfire if he tried to put cuffs on Colby today. Sometime in the future, hopefully, Colby would go for it, but Ian suspected if he tried it now he’d get a black eye to go with his split lip.

He wrapped one hand round both of Colby’s wrists, then leant forward, using his weight to stop the other man breaking his hold. He gripped Colby’s hair with the other and pulled hard enough to lift Colby’s head off the bed, bringing an ear into range. “Looks like I win this round,” he purred, before licking the shell and lightly biting the lobe.

Colby groaned and Ian felt the shudder that ran through his body. Ian liked that reaction, so he set about getting a repeat. He pulled Colby’s head a little further back, wanting him to feel it, but not be in real pain, he also shifted his weight enough that he could rub his aching cock against Colby’s ass, which got him the moan/shudder combination he’d wanted. Still, Ian hadn’t quite finished teasing Colby yet and he went back to whispering right into his ear.

“I’m learning such a lot of interesting things about you tonight, Colby Granger.”

“Yeah?” Colby said, sounding breathless.

“Yeah. I’ve learnt that you’re not nearly as vanilla as I’d imagined, that you like being restrained and that you don’t seem to have any problem with the fact that I want to shove my cock so deep inside that you’ll taste it and fuck you into next week,” Ian answered, managing to keep his voice steady by a massive force of will. It was fast approaching the point where he needed to get on with it or risk coming too soon. Judging by how Colby was writhing and whimpering at Ian’s words, he was right on the edge, too.

“Well, I’ve learnt that you’ve thought about me and sex more than once and that you talk a good game. You gonna put actions to words?” Colby challenged. “You gonna learn where the lube and condoms are and get your dick in me before we die of old age? And for the love of god can we _please_ get naked now!?”

Ian was amazed; every time he thought he’d got Colby right where he wanted him, the other man came out with a snarky comment, or a surprise move. Laughing with genuine joy, Ian shifted to the side and released Colby. “Naked sounds damn good right about now,” he agreed.

Colby rolled onto his back, grinning at Ian, and began pulling his t-shirt off. Ian would’ve liked to uncover all that lightly tanned skin himself, but things had got to the point where time was of the essence and it was quicker to get their own clothes off.

So, Ian turned his attention to his own clothes, realising he still had his jacket on for heavens sake and, god damnit, he loved his combat boots - they’d seen him through several wars and 57 fugitive retrievals - but did they really have to have so much lacing to loosen?

He managed to get himself out of his clothes in under a minute, even with the boot laces, but Colby had had the advantage of fewer clothes and when Ian looked up from discarding the last item, his mouth went dry - Colby was lying on his back, legs spread wide, lightly jacking his leaking cock.

Ian stared for a moment, taking in the deceptively lithe, compact body. Colby was slightly shorter than he was, but Ian had felt the strength and power in him. He obviously kept up with the fitness training he’d had in the Army and hadn’t let himself go soft like some former military agents Ian came into contact with.

He returned to the bed, crawling up until he was leaning over Colby, hips snug between the raised thighs. He leant in close, as if to kiss Colby, but at the last second he stopped. “You gonna tell me where the stuff is?” he asked, lips brushing against Colby’s as he spoke.

“Top drawer,” Colby replied, tilting his head towards the right hand bedside cabinet. Ian leant across and quickly found what he was looking for, dropping the foil-sealed condom on the bed next to his knee and settling back between Colby’s legs with the lube.

Colby reached for the condom, but Ian knew that if he let the other man put it on him, that’d be it. “Better not,” he said and Colby stared at him a second before grinning and settling back against the pillows.

Ian popped the cap on the lube and squirted a generous amount onto his fingers.

“Start with two,” Colby said and Ian raised an eyebrow.

“You do this often?” he asked, a little surprised, because it paid to be discreet in their line of work. And a little jealous if he was honest with himself.

“With guys, no, but I do have fingers of my own,” Colby answered, wiggling the fingers on the hand that wasn’t still slowly running up and down his cock. Ian swore and wrapped his unlubed fingers tightly round the base of his own cock to stave off orgasm at the image in his mind.

Colby gave him a downright evil smirk and, taking him at his word, Ian retaliated by shoving two fingers into his ass. They both moaned and Colby’s didn’t sound like he was in pain, so Ian wasted no time pumping his fingers in and out of the tight heat clenching around him. He scissored his fingers, stretching Colby open, and twisted until he found Colby’s prostate. The howl of pleasure told him he’d found it and Ian hit that spot a few more times, only stopping when Colby gasped, “Stop, or I’m coming right now.”

Ian groaned, fast reaching the end of his own endurance. “Do you need any more prep?” he asked, sincerely hoping the answer was no and letting out a sigh of relief when it was. He snatched up the condom, using his unlubed hand and teeth to get it open, and carefully rolled it on, then he pulled his fingers out of Colby and lined up.

He pushed in slowly, more to stop his own orgasm than out of concern for Colby - if he said he was ready, Ian believed him. When he was fully seated, balls resting against Colby’s ass and the both of them panting like they’d run a marathon, he looked up and met Colby’s eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment and Ian felt a shift. The playfulness dropped away and left him with a feeling of rightness. This wasn’t a one night stand, it wasn’t a reaction to the adrenaline and the hero worship, this was something that could maybe go the distance and the openness of Colby’s face showed that he felt it too.

Ian basked in the feeling, staying still for as long as he could bear, which wasn’t very long at all. He pulled out of Colby’s body slowly and pushed back in at the same maddening pace. They both moaned and Ian fought the urge to close his eyes, desperate to keep the eye contact.

He built the speed of his thrusts as slowly as he could manage, balancing on one arm and running his free hand over the delicious body beneath him. Colby returned the favour, finally able to touch Ian and seemingly desperate to make up for the lost time. Colby’s hands were everywhere - tweaking his nipples, scratching down his back, running through his hair. Then hands grabbed his ass as he thrust into Colby, pulling him in harder than he’d intended.

Ian took the hint and sped up his thrusts until he was pounding into Colby, obviously hitting his prostate on every thrust by the way the man was reacting. Colby still had one hand on his ass and was thrusting up to meet Ian’s inward strokes, the other had moved up to grip the back of Ian’s neck tightly.

Ian was sweating, his heart was pounding and his breathing sounded like a steam train. He could feel the tingling at the base of his spine that said he was getting close and he wanted Colby to come first, so he gripped Colby’s cock and started pumping in time with his thrusts, gathering the copious amount of precome and using it to ease the friction.

He was amazed that Colby had lasted so long given that he’d already been on the edge when Ian arrived, but it only took a handful of strokes before Colby was yelling Ian’s name and throwing his head back in ecstasy as his cock exploded. Ian managed to keep jacking him through it for a few moments, but the rhythmic clench and release of Colby’s ass around his cock became too much and he yelled as his climax ripped through him.

He collapsed, completely spent, but managing to land with most of his weight to the side of Colby. They lay there, panting, for some time, but Ian finally found the strength and coordination to slip out of Colby and remove the condom. He tied it off and staggered into the adjoining bathroom, throwing the condom in the bin and wetting a washcloth. He cleaned himself and then went back out to wipe Colby down. He hurled the cloth back into the bathroom, feeling a little smug when it landed in the sink, then he collapsed back down beside Colby.

He wasn’t usually big on cuddling, but he wanted to be close to Colby, so he pulled on the other man until, with Colby’s sleepy cooperation, they ended up with their legs entwined and Colby’s head resting on Ian’s shoulder. They lay quietly for a few more minutes, then Colby lifted his face and gave a lazy grin.

Ian grinned back and Colby frowned, reaching up to run his fingers along the split he’d caused to Ian’s lip, which was probably starting to colour up well now. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, looking a little guilty.

“Nah,” Ian dismissed. “I’ve had worse and I deserved it.” He caught sight of Colby’s knuckles, which looked a little sore themselves. “Besides, it looks like I got my own back,” he said, capturing Colby’s hand and bringing the knuckles to his mouth, kissing them lightly. “You know you should never punch bone,” he added with mock disappointment.

“What can I say; you bring out the worst in me,” Colby retorted, spoiling it with a jaw-cracking yawn.

Ian chuckled, but in truth was feeling quite tired himself. He pulled Colby in for a short, sweet kiss, then they settled down for some shut eye. They still needed to talk, but Ian was a lot more confident about how that would go than when he’d first arrived at Colby’s door.

Just as Ian was about to tip over the edge into sleep, Colby whispered, quite casually, “In the morning, I’m going to fuck you in the shower.” 

Ian’s eyes flew open and his breath caught. That promise was almost enough to get him going again right now, his dick giving a valiant twitch. At the very least it deserved some serious kissing, but when he tipped his head down to look at Colby, instead of the wicked grin he expected, he found the man was out cold.

“Bastard!” he muttered as his head dropped back onto the pillows. Sleep had deserted him and he lay there for some time, plotting his revenge, before he’d finally calmed down enough to join his new lover in the arms of Morpheus.

Being with Colby was clearly going to keep him on his toes, but that was exactly what Ian needed to keep him sane between cases.

END


End file.
